Most of Europe’s major festivals linked to just four companies, new research reveals

Most of Europe’s major music festivals are linked to and controlled by four multi-national companies, new research shared by Live DMA and Reset! has found.

A map showing the ownership of the major players in the European festival scene links more than 150 of the largest events to Live Nation, AEG, CTS Eventim and Superstruct Entertainment.  also confirms that these four companies have continually consolidated their power within the market in recent years, with the number of festivals tied to them having increased significantly between 2022 and 2025.

A separate map dedicated to music venues also finds that corporate ownership is focused around arenas and stadiums, while most small and mid-sized spaces remain independent or run by local authorities. Ticketing platforms are also frequently controlled by the same groups, Live DMA and Reset!’s research confirms.

Live DMA – which represents more than 3,000 venues, clubs and festivals – and Reset! said the maps “strictly factual” and are not exhaustive in covering the full European festivals and venues landscape, but that they’ve been created so that audiences and policymakers can ask themselves the following questions: “When we buy a ticket for a festival or a concert, who do we really support, and what kind of ecosystem do we want for live music in Europe?”

Take a closer look at the two maps here, and find more information about Live DMA and Reset’s project here.

Last year, the UK-based Association of Independent Festivals called for the break-up of Live Nation, arguing that it had a monopoly on the festivals and events market.

Superstruct Entertainment came under significant fire last summer due to the connections of its parent company KKR to tech and data businesses operating in Israel. Artists pulled out of festivals such as Sónar, Lost Village and Field Day amid boycott actions.